Search for:
Search for:
Healthcare Professionals
Publications
Contact
News
Español
Magazine
Radio
*
Get Educated
What is MS?
A chronic neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system, comprised of the brain...
More Details
Educational Materials
Common Questions
Lending Library
Symptoms
Treatment Options
Additional Resources
Research
MS Awareness Month
Donate
Get Help
Health & Wellness Program
Get educational materials and referrals, as well as the opportunity to participate in various...
Learn More
Grants & Programs
Awareness Campaigns
Support Groups
Events
Lending Library
Additional Resources
Get Involved
MS Focus on Fashion
Join us for the signature event of MS Focus: the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, to be held at the...
Learn More
Advocacy
MS Focus on Fashion
Volunteer
Businesses
MS Research Trials
Supporter Program
Awareness Campaigns
Host an Event
Events
Awareness Month 2025
In this program we’ll navigate through the available treatment options and look at what the...
Learn more
Events Calendar
Health & Wellness
Fundraisers
Support
Web & Teleconferences
MS Education
Host an Event
About Us
Programs & Grants
More Details
Overview
Press Room
Leadership
Healthcare Advisory Board
Financial Statements
Our Mission
Careers at MS Focus
Affiliations
Cooling Program
The Cooling Program offers a variety of items, free of charge, to help individuals with MS...
/Get-Help/MSF-Programs-Grants/Cooling-Program
Shop
Privacy
Terms of Use
Site Map
Poor gut health may drive MS — better diet may ease it
January 05, 2023
In a new study, researchers traced a previously observed link between microscopic organisms in the digestive tract — collectively known as the gut microbiome — and multiple sclerosis. Their study in genetically altered mice and people supports the belief that dietary adjustments such as increased fiber may slow MS progression, and they are already working to test the effect of dietary interventions in MS patients.
Several previous studies have differentiated the microbiomes of MS patients and healthy subjects, but, the researchers said, they all noted different abnormalities, so it was impossible to tell what change, if any, was driving disease progression.
The study at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s Department of Neurology used mice engineered with MS-associated genes to trace the link between alterations in the gut bacteria and an MS-like condition called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
As these mice matured — and simultaneously developed EAE and a gut inflammatory condition called colitis — the researchers observed increased recruitment of inflammatory cells (neutrophils) to the colon and production of an antimicrobial protein called lipocalin 2 (Lcn-2).
The study team then looked for evidence that the same process occurred in people with MS and found significantly elevated Lcn-2 levels in patient stool. This marker correlated with reduced bacterial diversity and increased levels of other markers of intestinal inflammation. Additionally, bacteria that seem to ease inflammatory bowel disease were reduced in MS patients with higher levels of fecal Lcn-2.
The study suggests that fecal Lcn-2 levels may be a sensitive marker for detecting unhealthy changes in the gut microbiome of MS patients. It also provides further evidence that high-fiber diets, which reduce gut inflammation, may help fight MS.
Rutgers is looking to test that hypothesis soon. However, the results of mouse model studies sometimes do not translate to humans and may be years away from being a marketable treatment.
The study was published in the journal
Frontiers in Immunology
.
MS Focus Lending Library
Books, DVDs, and CDs are available for loan, by mail across the United States.
Learn more